Coin-controlled machine.



0. B. PHILLIPS.

COIN CONTROLLED MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 26, 1912.

1,077,747, Patented Nov. 4, 1913.

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COIN CONTROLLED MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 26, 1912.

1,077,747. "Patented Nov. 4, 1913.

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O.- B. PHILLIPS.

COIN CONTROLLED MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 26, 1912.

1,077,747. Patented Nov. 4, 1913.

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COIN-CONTROLLED MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedNov. 4, 1913.

Application fi ed J ly as, 1912. S rial No. 711,679."

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OTIS B. PHILLIPS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Garbondale, Illinois, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Coin- Controlled Machines, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the 19 same.

This invention relates to coin-controlled machines, and particularly tothe coin-controlling mechanisms used in such machines.

One object of my invention is to provide is an eiiicient and inexpensivecoin cont-rolling 20 ating member which has movable coin-receiving jawsor portions that receive the coin, an actuating device which cooperateswith the coin in. said member to impart movement to said member, andmeans for causing said jaws to. separate and release the. coin when saidmember reaches a certain position. And still another object of myinvention is to provide a chance device comprising a table On which aplurality of dice or similar objects are arranged, a

spring-actuated operating; member for agitating said table so as todisplace the dice thereon, movable'jaws on said'member for receiving acoin or check, .an actuating device that is adapted'to engage the'coinand move said member so as to store up energy mthe spr ngwhichyoperatesit, and

means arranged in'tlie path ofsaid jaws for causing them to release thecoin and thus permitthe spring to ac Other objects and desirablefeatures of my invention will be hereinafter pointed out.

Figure llis a vertical'sectional view of a coin-controlled machineconstructed in accordance with my invention; 2 is a bottom; plan view ofthe topof the casing in which the coin-controlling mechanism isvarranged;Fig, 3 is a vertical sectionalview 0 ots'aid casing showing thecoinrcontrolling mechanism in a' different position fromrthatillustrated in Fig; 1.; Fig-:4 is" a vertical sectionallview' taken on'the line d i of Fig;'1;,F1g. 5is atop plan'view of thecOinreceiving jaws' on the table=operating member; and Fig. 6 is a perspective'view ofthe table-operating member.

Referring to the drawings. which illustrate the preferred form of myinvention,

A designates the casing of a coin-controlled machine in which thecoin-controlling mechanism is arranged, and B designates a housing onsaid casing that incloses achance device herein shown as a table Cprovided with a plurality of dice or similar objects D which aredisplaced when the table C is moved upwardly, the housing B beingprovided with one or more transparent panels so as to permit the user oroperator to observe the action of the chance device. I l

- The coin-controlling mechanism comprises a table-operating member Iprovided with coin-re'ceivingjaws 2, oneor both of which are movable, areceiving chut-e3 for guiding a coin into the aws 2, an actuating device4 that cooperates with the coin in the jaws 2' to move the member 1, ajaw-operating device 5 for causing the coin to be released from the jawsQwhenthe member l'reaches a certain position, andone or more springs 6for actuating the member l so as to cause said member to move the tableC ofthe' chance device upwardly. The tableoperating memberl is pivotallyconnected at 7 to a bracket 8 arranged inside otthe casing A, as shownin Fig,v 1, and the springs 6 which actuate said member are connected tothe intermediate portion of same and to the top A of the casing A, as

shown in Fig; 2. Thetable-operating memher 1 is provided at its free endwith a head P, as shown in Fig. 6, to which both of the coin reoeivingjawsil are pivotally connected, said aws having reduced extensions 2 attheir rear ends that fit between table-operating member 1' has aforwardly projecting'portion which lies between the jaws}? and"thuslimits the closmg movement of the jaws, and the coin-receiving slots10 in the jaws are so proportioned that only a coin of a certaindenomination Wlll remain therein, the vertical walls of said slots beinginclined or formed in such a manner that they converge as they approachthe head or the member 1, as shown in broken lines in Fig. 5. coin orcheck of less diameter than the one which the machine is designed toaccommodate will pass or travel through the cooperating slots 10 in thecoin-receiving jaws without lodging therein.

The coin chute 8 is arranged on the-under side of the top of the casingA in alinement with acoin slot 13 in said top and is so disposed that itwill guide a coin into operative position in the slots 10 of thecoin-receiving jaws 2 when the tableoperating member 1 is in its normalposition, as shown in Fig. 2. The actuating device 41 is reciprocatinglymounted in a guide 14 that'projects downwardly through the top of thecasing A, and a coiled contractile spring 15 is connected at its upperend to said guide and at its lower end to an adjustable member 16 on thelower end of the actuating device a so as to elevate said device orrestore it to normal position when the operator releases same. Theactuating device 4: is arranged in such a position with relation to thetable-operating member 1 that it will engage a coin in which has beenintroduced between the coin-receiving jaws 2 and thus move the member 1downwardly so as to store up energy in the springs 6 when the actuatingdevice A is depressed, as shown in Fig. 8. When the member 1 reaches acertain position the coin-receiving jaws thereon are separated so as torelease the coin m by means of the jaw-operating member 5 whose lowerend is flared or made substantially wedge-shaped, as shown in Fig. -l-,the member 5 being arranged between the forwardly projecting arms 11 onthe coin-receiving jaws. The jaw-operating member 5 is preferablypivotally connected at 17 to the lower end of the coin chute 3, as shownin Figs. 2 and 3, and a plurality of teeth 18 are formed on the rearside of said member so as to catch on the coin m and thus prevent themember 1 from moving upwardly in case the operator fails to depress theactuating device 4 far enough to cause the jaws 2 to release the coin,the

member 5 being held normally in the path of the coin by means of aspring 19 which bears upon same. In other Words, the teeth 18 on themember 5 make it necessaryv for the operator to give the device 4 a fullstroke in order. to operate the machine, thereby preventing a dishonestperson from throwing the device D a number of times with the same coin.As soon as the coin is released from the jaws on the member 1,

Consequently, a 7

the springs 6 throw said member upwardly with sufficient force to imparta quick blow to a plunger- 20 which is interposed between the member 1and the table G and thus displace the dice or other objects on the tableGT The coin that is released falls downwardly onto a plate 21 which isarranged inside of the casing A in such a position that it can be seenthrough a window or glass-protected sight-opening 22 in the wall ofsaidcasing. I

In order to enable the owner of the machine to know just how many coinseach user inserts, the plate 21., onto which the coins drop, ispivotally mounted and is connected to a spring-actuated tripping rod 23whose head terminates at the rear side of the casing A in such aposition that it cannot be seen by the user. After a user has stoppedplaying the machine the owner pulls the rod 23 so as to discharge thecoins on the plate 21 onto the bottom of the casing where they cannot beseen by a user.

I have herein used the term coin and coin-controlled mechanism merelyfor convenience and because these terms are.

clearly understoodin this art, but I do not wish it to be understoodthat my invention is limited to a machine or mechanism which can only beoperated by a coin for a check or any other article of suitable shape tocooperate with the jaws on the table-operating member is intended to becovered by the term coin used in the claims. I

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is: i 1. A coin-controlling mechanismcomprising an operating member, a spring for actuating said member,movable coin-receiving jaws on said member for receiving a coin andholding it in a certain position, an actuating device that is adapted toengage the coin in said jaws and move said member so as to store upenergy inthe spring which actuates same, an element arranged in the pathof movement of said jaws for spreading or separating said jaws so as torelease the coin and thus permit said member to operate, and means onsaid element that cooperates with the coin to insure a full stroke ofsaid actuating device.

2. A coin-controlling mechanism comprising a pivotally mounted operatingmember, yielding coin-receiving jaws on said member adapted toreceive acoin and hold it in a certain position, means adapted to cooperate withthe coin in said jaws tomove said member in one direction, a pivotallymoimted element arranged in the path of said jaws for separating them soas to release the coin when said member reaches a certain position,teeth on said element that cooperate with the coin to insure a fullstroke of the actuating device, and a spring for moving said member inthe opposite direction when the coin is released.

3. A coin-controlling mechanism comprising a spring-actuated operatingmember provided with jaws for receiving a coin, yielding means forholding said jaws closed, an actuating device that is adapted tocooperate with the coin in said jaws to move said operating member inone direction, a flared or tapered device that cooperates withextensions on said jaws to cause them to separate and thus release thecoin when said operating member reaches a certain position, and means onsaid tapered device that is adapted to cooperate with the coin to insurea full stroke of said actuating device.

4. In a coin-controlled machine, the combination of a table, a pivotallymounted lever for imparting a blow or sudden upward movement to saidtable, a spring for actuating said lever, yielding coin-engaging jaws onsaid lever for receiving a coin and holding it in a certain position, anactuating device that is adapted to cooperate with the coin in said jawsto move said lever in one direction, and means arranged in the path ofmovement of c said lever for positively opening said coin-engaging jawsso as to release the coin and thus cause said lever to actuate saidtable, said means being providedwith ratchet teeth that cooperate withthe coin to insure a full stroke of the actuating device.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses, this 20th day of July 1912.

OTIS B. PHILLIPS.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM H. AsHLnY, EDWARD K. PORTER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

